Breaking The Ice
by H-san
Summary: Nearly two decades ago, an elevenyearold boy watched as his sister died at the hands of the infamous Hitokiri Battousai, an assassin and his brotherinlaw. Now, with a stronger resolve, he seeks not Jinchuu, but deliverance.
1. Chapter 1: A Momentary Encounter

**Disclaimer 1:** Rurouni Kenshin and characters © Nobuhiro Watsuki, ViZ Comics (Shonen Jump), Fuji TV, Studio Gallop, Studio DEEN, and other parties whom have claimed Rurouni Kenshin as their own 

**Disclaimer 2:** Any _other_ fictional characters © Eileen Setiawan and other aliases she assumes (H-san, hina-chan, etc)

**Disclaimer 3:** I do not endorse this product as official. This will not be used for profit or in any way derogatory to the series. This is only for the sole purposes of killing time and boredom (and study time).

**Author's Note:** This is my first Rurouni Kenshin piece. Be gentle. I'm in the middle of reading the Jinchuu arc of the manga, have researched Enishi's past, character, and the Triad, have watched both OVAs containing him, and have overall wasted my time away to perfect this story's main character: Enishi Yukishiro so as to keep Watsuki-sensei's character as he had portrayed. Yes, as you can see, I am a pathetic girl with no life. With that being said, read on.

* * *

**BREAKING THE ICE**

**Prologue:** The Story of a Tormented Boy

* * *

Nearly two decades ago, an eleven-year-old boy watched as his sister died at the hands of the infamous _Hitokiri Battousai_, an assassin and his brother-in-law. Believing that _Battousai_ had purposefully intended to murder his sister, he sought to gain _Jinchuu_, believing that his hands must punish this _hitokiri_, as the heavens had not yet given the justice he believed his sister deserved. He spent many years loathing _Battousai_, this hatred consuming him. Slowly, when he gained both power and wealth, he planned his final stage of revenge. His final act of _Jinchuu_.

But all did not go to plan.

After facing loss by the hands of _Battousai_, now known as Kenshin, Enishi Yukishiro was captured by police. As he boarded the ship bound to his life in prison, Kaoru, Kenshin's dearest, gave to him a diary belonging to that of his sister: Tomoe Yukishiro. In it, revealed to him was the truth. The truth of his sister, the sharp taste of reality, and a deep, disheartening despair; however, there was also hope. Hope that one day he would be able to finally grasp the sense of closure that was triggered through Tomoe's diary. With this in mind, he jumped the ship and swam all the way to Tokyo, with only the clothes on his back and Tomoe's diary as his belongings. He reached the Village of Lost Souls, and there he met a kindly man named Oibore. He remained with him for two years, recuperating and grasping the truth behind Tomoe's words.

It is now the 13th year of Meiji.

"Are you leaving already?" asked the elderly man, looking towards the younger one as he stood by the front doorway.

The younger one nodded, fixing his glasses with his forefinger by pushing it up the bridge of his nose.

"I want… to find what I'm looking for…" he stated, his voice flat and monotonous.

The old man nodded, a smile crossing his wizened face.

"Go then. Find what you are looking for."

* * *

**Chapter 1: **A Momentary Encounter

* * *

"More _sake_ sir?" asked the waitress to the young man as he sat in a secluded area of the restaurant. He nodded his head in affirmation, placing his cup down. She nodded, leaving for the front of the bar with the empty jug in hand. Another waitress passed her, heading towards the door with a green cotton cloak covering her body. Before she reached the door, she turned to the waitress from before.

"_O-tsukare sama deshita_," she said, smiling.

The waitress looked puzzled.

"Leaving already? You can stay here you know. Gendo-_san_ and I really don't mind. In fact, there are a lot of free rooms upstairs."

The waitress at the door smiled.

"Mikara-_dono_, I'm fine really. I promise. Besides, those lodgings are for customers, not employees."

Mikara looked concerned, but nodded. The waitress smiled and nodded, walking out of the front entrance and into the darkness of the evening. Mikara turned to the kitchen, still pondering over her decision to let the girl go, but then shook her head vigorously, trying to take her mind off the vague feeling that what she did was wrong. She sighed, asking for a refill of the _sake_. She then turned to her customer to tell him his _sake_ would be a while, but was puzzled when she found nobody there.

Unbeknownst to Mikara, the man had left the bar a few minutes after the young girl.

* * *

The young girl walked on, pulling her cotton mantle about her as she tried to get warm. Autumn nights always chilled her to the bone, despite the fact that she loved the season for the colours of the leaves changing. She shook her head, her black hair falling in front of her face; a mechanism she believed would keep her warm. It only managed to get in her way as she blew on the locks to get out of her vision. As she continued walking, she suddenly had the vague feeling she was being watched. It was not due to some cosmic imbalance of the environment, but more due to the fact that her footsteps suddenly had an echo.

She stopped short, the echo stopping with her.

Believing it was just a trick of the mind, she continued walking. However, that feeling was still bothering her. Again, she stopped. And once again, the echo stopped. She continued on, her footsteps increasing in pace and her ears straining to hear any sign of another person. Still, there was nothing but that insistent echoing of her footsteps. Faster still she walked, clutching onto her shawl more out of fright than frost. As she neared a corner, she became aware of a shadow of something… or someone… behind her.

She ran.

* * *

A young man walked down the lane, his head down and his vision fixated on the floor below. His cloak trailed behind him, flapping with the autumn breeze that blew through. In his left hand, he held a large weapon, conveniently camouflaged by a large white sheet. Leather ropes bound his hand, securing this weapon in place and making it more convenient to carry. His breath came out in a misty frost, another result of autumn's cold. Enishi Yukishiro has travelled far. It seemed the police had since forgotten about him, most likely believing he was dead after he had jumped the ship. He still had with him his sister's diary; tucked safely in a makeshift rucksack he carried with him, fixed to his sword. As he made his way down the lane, he turned a corner, instantly colliding into a girl.

"_Gomen_!" said the girl, looking up at him. "I…"

"OI!" came another voice from behind.

The girl gasped, her head snapping in the direction of the voice. She then turned to Enishi, a look of fear on her face. With this last look, she went around him and continued to run. Enishi turned in her direction, peering at where she fled. He then turned his head forward at the sound of the footsteps coming towards him. A group of men ran forward, most avoiding Enishi, but some brushing just past him, causing his cape to billow upwards.

"Outta the way!" said one man, roughly pushing past Enishi.

He stood there for a few moments, hearing as the footsteps faded, as well as the sounds of their laughter. Gripping his _tachi_, he continued on his way, but stopped, a part of him remembering words from Tomoe's diary: words of forgiveness and acceptance.

With that in mind, he unwrapped the _tachi_.

* * *

"_Kuso_…" mumbled the girl, coming to a dead end. She placed her palms on the stonewall, a fixated look on her visage.

"Hey little girl," said the voice of a man behind him. "You run quite fast there huh?"

Her eyes lowered as she turned around. "What do you want?"

"Our boss really wants you to go back you know," said another man.

"Boss?" questioned the girl, a slightly mocking smile on her face. "He doesn't trust you enough, doesn't he?"

The group of men looked stunned, looking to one another, speechless.

"He… he does too!" yelled one man. "Why do you think he gave us this gig?"

"Because I assume you're the only groupies of his in this town, ne?"

They glared at her, baring their teeth.

"Get her!" said the one in the front, which the girl assumed was the leader.

The men in the front, excluding the leader, ran towards her. Desperately, for a ploy to get out of her current situation, she grabbed the side of a rubbish container and threw. It only managed to stop some of them, who fell down spluttering and trying to wipe the rubbish from their faces. Those that managed to get by, however, were stopped short as a figure came down from above, the sound of metal on cement resonating throughout the area.

Those in the front fell back a step, shocked looks on their faces. Slowly, their shirts tore apart, the shreds of cloth falling to the floor. They yelled in horror at their close call with death.

Silently, the figure outstretched his weapon towards them, his purple-tinted glasses shining under the dim fall moonlight.

"Who… who are you?" yelled the leader, picking up one of his fallen comrades who was frothing at the mouth from sheer shock.

"I suggest," he started. "You leave the woman alone," he ended.

The men stared, some scared, others incredulous of this man's defiance.

"Let's get him!" said one man.

"YEAH!" echoed the others, rushing towards Enishi with chains, daggers and an assortment of weapons.

Enishi twisted his sword around, the flat edge of the blade facing them, and swung. There was a sharp smack of flesh on metal as the men went flying backwards, alive but seriously injured.

"You're lucky I don't feel like killing now," he said, swinging his weapon back once again.

"We'll… we'll get you! Just wait and see!" yelled the leader, backing off as the others followed in suit.

Enishi stared in their general direction, waiting for their footsteps to fade once again. He then wrapped up his weapon, and turned to the girl. He cocked a brow, finding that the girl was missing.

* * *

The girl leaned her hand against the wall, gasping in and out, her eyes closed, her free hand pressed to her chest. As her breathing calmed, she sat up, wiping her brow and sighing, her eyes looking up at the clouded autumn skies. She then peered around the area, groaning.

"Now where am I?" she questioned herself, wondering how she managed to end up in such predicaments.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I don't usually place one of these at the bottom of my works (as proven if you flip through my other stories), but I would like to just say: constructive criticism is good, supportive comments are always wanted, but flames? Flames are a no-no. Flamers should be kicked. Why flame when you could tell my _why_ you hate it? And don't give me that "I'm too lazy crap". If you have enough time to read it, then you have enough time to give me a good constructive response.

**Disclaimer of the A/N:** I apologise for that outburst. If you like flaming, it's fine by me. Just… be gentle with your words… (cringes at oncoming onslaught)


	2. Chapter 2: The Mystery of a Man

**Disclaimer 1:** Rurouni Kenshin and characters © Nobuhiro Watsuki, ViZ Comics (Shonen Jump), Fuji TV, Studio Gallop, Studio DEEN, and other parties whom have claimed Rurouni Kenshin as their own 

**Disclaimer 2:** Any _other_ fictional characters © Eileen Setiawan and other aliases she assumes (H-san, hina-chan, etc)

**Disclaimer 3:** I do not endorse this product as official. This will not be used for profit or in any way derogatory to the series. This is only for the sole purposes of killing time and boredom (and study time).

**Author's Note:** Here's chapter 2! Yay! As you can tell I have kept the "Prologue" in, yet changed the title so that the actual word is not there. This is because, when reading the manga, I have noticed that Watsuki-sensei places a brief overview in the beginning of every manga book. This is similar to what I am doing with the repetition of the beginning.

Be aware however that I also place a brief introduction to the actual story after the statement relating to the "13th year of Meiji". So, readers, be wary!

* * *

**BREAKING THE ICE **

**The Story of a Tormented Boy**

**

* * *

**

Nearly two decades ago, an eleven-year-old boy watched as his sister died at the hands of the infamous _Hitokiri Battousai_, an assassin and his brother-in-law. Believing that _Battousai_ had purposefully intended to murder his sister, he sought to gain _Jinchuu_, believing that his hands must punish this _hitokiri_, as the heavens had not yet given the justice he believed his sister deserved. He spent many years loathing _Battousai_, this hatred consuming him. Slowly, when he gained both power and wealth, he planned his final stage of revenge. His final act of _Jinchuu_.

But all did not go to plan.

After facing loss by the hands of _Battousai_, now known as Kenshin, Enishi Yukishiro was captured by police. As he boarded the ship bound to his life in prison, Kaoru, Kenshin's dearest, gave to him a diary belonging to that of his sister: Tomoe Yukishiro. In it, revealed to him was the truth. The truth of his sister, the sharp taste of reality, and a deep, disheartening despair; however, there was also hope. Hope that one day he would be able to finally grasp the sense of closure that was triggered through Tomoe's diary. With this in mind, he jumped the ship and swam all the way to Tokyo, with only the clothes on his back and Tomoe's diary as his belongings. He reached the Village of Lost Souls, and there he met a kindly man named Oibore. He remained with him for two years, recuperating and grasping the truth behind Tomoe's words.

It is now the 13th year of Meiji.

Enishi walked through the bustling streets of the small town. He wondered silently if this small town had always been so… busy. He had heard from locals that a man had controlled the town with ferocity, causing the town to become fearful and repulsive. The townspeople cared not for anyone but themselves, much like other towns that had come under the man's iron fist. The man's name was familiar… yes, he had dealings with him during his days as a Triad boss: Shishio Makoto.

Enishi looked towards the path ahead, seeing the townspeople smiling as if Makoto had never existed. It was as if all had been forgotten, and all this just because one, little, restaurant. He looked at the flyer in his hands: the Mazekineko.

* * *

**Chapter 2: **The Mystery of a Man

* * *

The next morning, the Mazekineko was bustling as usual, with customers flocking in and out. Within the restaurant-hostel the employees bustled about in their uniforms, greeting and serving customers. In the back, the part owner, Gendo cooked the meals with his eldest daughter, Sakura, helping him. In the front, the other part owner, Gendo's wife and Sakura's mother, Mikara served the customers with the other employees. From the back, the girl from the previous night came in, greeting both Sakura and Gendo.

"You're late Hatoha!" said Gendo, his voice stern, but his face displaying a playful smirk.

Hatoha bowed low.

"_Gomenasa_i! I… _ano_…"

"You can explain later. Hurry up and get ready. We need all the help we can get!"

"_Hai _Gendo-_dono_!"

After getting prepared, Hatoha joined Sakura in cooking the meals. Sakura leaned over to Hatoha, whispering her concerns.

"What happened last night?"

Hatoha smiled.

"Nothing really. The usual."

"Hatoha-chan. Tell me. Please."

Hatoha chuckled, shaking her head.

"Sakura-_san_, it's okay really. As I said, the usual."

Sakura pouted, chopping the vegetables. She then swiftly turned on Hatoha, pointing the knife in her friend's face and causing Hatoha to break into a cold sweat.

"_Keigo_!" she said loudly, waving the knife around just inches from Hatoha's face.

"Ke – "

"I'm your friend. Call me Sakura-_chan_. You calling me Sakura-_san_ makes me sound old. Now _please_ tell me what's wrong."

Hatoha laughed nervously, pointing the tip of the knife, which remained a mere five centimetres from her face. Sakura then laughed nervously herself, placing the knife down on the chopping block, then turning to her friend, crossed her arms and glowered

"Well?"

Hatoha sighed. "Sakura…" Sakura looked at her with raised brows. "-_chan_…" A pleasing look crossed her face. "You know the town's been having a rough time with crime ever since _that_ incident two years back. In fact… if it wasn't for your family, we would be in serious trouble."

Sakura smiled at Hatoha. Both were the same age, and understood the other. However, Sakura lived a more sheltered life than her friend. In fact, before that incident two years ago, Sakura had lived in Nagoya.

"Plus," added Hatoha; going back to stirring the stew she cooked. "You are older than me… by one season."

Sakura stared at her friend incredulously, who grinned back at her. Fuming, glowering, but still finding the humour in it, Sakura once again  
began chopping the vegetables.

* * *

"Welcome sir!" came the waitress at the front door, bowing low to the man who walked in. His cloak-like apparel floated behind him enigmatically, seeming to float ethereally in the wind. He glanced down at the girl through purple-tinted glasses, his turquoise-laced eyes piercing into hers, and then turned away, entering the restaurant. She blushed visibly under his fleeting but intense glance.

"Are you okay?" asked the other woman standing with her.

"_H – hai_…" came her reply, embarrassed that she had reacted so publicly to this man's intensity. He seemed like such a mysterious fellow. She wondered what he was doing in such a small town as this.

Sitting down at the table, Enishi stared forward at the opposing wall, thoughts pervading his mind. It was winter soon. He needed to get back to Kyoto… for his sister… for Tomoe.

"May I help you sir?" came a female's voice through his thoughts. He looked up, seeing a mature woman standing before him. Her black hair was held back in a bun and she wore a maid's uniform, much like the two young girls outside.

"I'll have whatever you prefer," he said, giving her a charming smile. This was business. He was good at business.

"Anything else?" asked the woman.

"_Sake_," came Enishi's short reply.

The woman nodded, taking his order down. She then walked towards the back to a small window where some of the kitchen could be seen. Three people bustled about there: two young girls and a man. One girl had his back to her but still, there was something familiar about her.

"Beef hot pot and _sake_," yelled the woman into the window.

The man nodded, telling the other two, who nodded their heads in return. They then went about chopping, stirring, sprinkling, pouring, and other kitchen-type duties as they made Enishi's order. The woman returned, giving him a smile.

"Your order will come soon," she stated.

He nodded, the smile he had assumed before still on his face.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sakura stirred Enishi's order. She stooped down to see who the customer was and an impish grin crossed her visage.

"Oh, he's cute," she stated to Hatoha, who was chopping vegetables for the beef hotpot.

"Hah?" asked Hatoha, distracted with her task.

"Over there," she said, motioning with her head.

Hatoha stooped down to see what her best friend was talking about, and gasped, incredulous of what she saw.

"Cute yes?" came Sakura's voice over Hatoha's stupor.

"_Ano_…" came Hatoha's reply. She then turned to her vegetables and started chopping faster. "Maybe we should get his order done. He's probably hungry," she said, her voice and actions hurried.

Sakura stared at Hatoha confused, then that same impish grin crossed her face.

"Oh," she mused. "You know him, don't you?" she questioned, poking fun at Hatoha.

Hatoha shook her head.

"No!" she said forcibly. Perhaps too forced.

"YOU DO!" came Sakura's voice loudly. "YOU _DO_ KNOW HIM! HOW? WHEN? WHEN DID YOU TWO MEET? WAS IT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? WHY ARE YOU SO EMBARRASSED TO SEE HIM?"

"Sakura-chan…" came Hatoha's meek reply.

"Can you two girls _please_ cook _and_ talk at the same time? And Sakura-_chan_, stop being so loud," came Gendo, staring huffily at them.

"_Gomen_," said both girls in unison, exchanging glances.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I apologise for last chapter. The text is very squashed together, and thus looks cramped for readers. I hope you can forgive my pathetic-ness for not reading instructions in the "Documents" section of


	3. Chapter 3: The Scent of White Plum

**Disclaimer 1:** Rurouni Kenshin and characters © Nobuhiro Watsuki, ViZ Comics (Shonen Jump), Fuji TV, Studio Gallop, Studio DEEN, and other parties whom have claimed Rurouni Kenshin as their own

**Disclaimer 2:** Any _other_ fictional characters © Eileen Setiawan and other aliases she assumes (H-san, hina-chan, etc)

**Disclaimer 3:** I do not endorse this product as official. This will not be used for profit or in any way derogatory to the series. This is only for the sole purposes of killing time and boredom (and study time).

**Author's Note:** And chapter 3. I know what you're all thinking: here it comes, the "Tomoe" obsessed side of Enishi. But, what's an Enishi story without it?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**BREAKING THE ICE **

The Story of a Tormented Boy

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nearly two decades ago, an eleven-year-old boy watched as his sister died at the hands of the infamous _Hitokiri Battousai_, an assassin and his brother-in-law. Believing that _Battousai_ had purposefully intended to murder his sister, he sought to gain _Jinchuu_, believing that his hands must punish this _hitokiri_, as the heavens had not yet given the justice he believed his sister deserved. He spent many years loathing _Battousai_, this hatred consuming him. Slowly, when he gained both power and wealth, he planned his final stage of revenge. His final act of _Jinchuu_.

But all did not go to plan.

After facing loss by the hands of _Battousai_, now known as Kenshin, Enishi Yukishiro was captured by police. As he boarded the ship bound to his life in prison, Kaoru, Kenshin's dearest, gave to him a diary belonging to that of his sister: Tomoe Yukishiro. In it, revealed to him was the truth. The truth of his sister, the sharp taste of reality, and a deep, disheartening despair; however, there was also hope. Hope that one day he would be able to finally grasp the sense of closure that was triggered through Tomoe's diary. With this in mind, he jumped the ship and swam all the way to Tokyo, with only the clothes on his back and Tomoe's diary as his belongings. He reached the Village of Lost Souls, and there he met a kindly man named Oibore. He remained with him for two years, recuperating and grasping the truth behind Tomoe's words.

It is now the 13th year of Meiji.

Enishi had a few moments to himself as his meal was being prepared. In that time, his mind wandered to his sister and the diary. The words, her words, scrawled along the paper's surface seemed so little, yet held such wonder.

Tomoe was like that: she gave the world a quality that no one else could ever bring. Despite Enishi knowing that Tomoe was happy for him now that he had come to his senses, another part of him, that part that despised _Battousai_ still, longed for Tomoe's smile. Not a smile from beyond the grave. But a _real_ smile.

The smile he longed for most.

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**Chapter 3: **The Scent of White Plum

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"You know him, you know him, you know him, you know him…" Sakura repeated the three words over and over in a singsong voice, annoying and embarrassing Hatoha at the same time.

"Sakura-_chan_…" groaned Hatoha, giving Sakura a disparaging look.

"Well you do!" came her childish reply, her voice still holding that singsong quality.

Hatoha sighed awkwardly, warming up the sake for Enishi. Sakura had been poking fun at her all the time they had been making the meal, and despite the task taking a short while, it was still highly embarrassing, as she knew that Gendo, Sakura's father and her boss, was listening in on the conversation. He just hoped he would not intervene.

"So, Hatoha's got herself a lover, eh?" questioned Gendo, waltzing over with bowl and cup in hand. He filled the cup with sake and bowl with beef hotpot and then turned to Hatoha. "Guess this means you gotta do the serving eh?"

"Hah? Wha?" stuttered Hatoha, completely stumped as to how the matter had sunk into this.

She heard a familiar laugh behind her… or two familiar laughs. A sweat drop forming and sliding down the back of her head, she turned to see Mikara and Sakura, mother and daughter, laughing, their hands over their mouths and their eyes closed in foxlike mischievousness.

As she carried the tray with beef hotpot and sake on it towards the customer's tables, she sighed, glancing back at the family, who were all laughing the same. The whole family was out to get her.

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"Uhm… sir?" came Hatoha's meek voice.

Enishi looked up, seeing the familiar face from yesterday. She worked in this restaurant, that much was obvious. "I've already been served."

"Hai, it's just that, I've got your meal," she said meekly.

Enishi once again peered at her. "Where's the other woman?" he asked, wondering why she was there in her stead.

"_Ano_… she's… preoccupied with family matters," lied Hatoha, setting down Enishi's tray. "I apologise for the inconvenience. I usually work out back. I'm… not used to customers."

"That's okay," he said, that charming smile crossing his face once again. Now he knew who she was: that girl from yesterday. "I take it you got home okay."

"Huh?" came her reply.

"Yesterday, you were running away from some men. I take it you got home okay," repeated Enishi.

The girl smiled, bowing low. "Yes, and thankyou sir. Enjoy your meal."

Enishi nodded, sipping the _sake_ and opening the lid to the hotpot. As he began to eat, she walked away, her scent caught in the wind that wafted in through the door. Enishi stopped. That smell was… so familiar.

"Wait," he said, so suddenly that even he did not know what he was saying. She stopped short, turning to him with a puzzled look on his face.

"_G – Gomen_… is there something wrong?" she asked, concerned. This reaction was strange to her. Everyone loved the beef hotpot.

"Your scent," came Enishi's voice.

"My…" trailed Hatoha.

"What… what is it?" asked Enishi.

Hatoha blinked, clueless. She then looked to her hand, realising what he meant.

"White Tea and Bamboo," she said, wondering why he needed to know.

The customer went silent for some time, as if lulling this over.

"_Gomen_. You can go now," he said, his voice dismissive.

Hatoha bowed once again, turned on her heels, and left the customer, her saviour, to eat and drink as he pleased.

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As Enishi ate the beef hotpot his mind brooded. He could have sworn he smelt White Plum. White Tea… was it the same? Why did it bother him so much? Trying to shake the thoughts of memories, he sipped the _sake_, closing his eyes as he felt the warm wine wash his throat. Opening his eyes, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his forefinger, leaning his head on his palm as he brooded once more.

There was something… about that smell… that seemed so familiar to Tomoe.

Tomoe…

Why did everything remind him of her? Yet, he still yearned for the real her: her real smile, her real scent, her warm embrace…

He felt that part of him that hated _Battousai_ swell in his chest. A deep black monster of hate. Swallowing another sip of _sake_, he let it settle before getting back to his meal.

He would enjoy this meal with peace.

Even if that meant having to forget his sister for that time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Hatoha walked back to the kitchen, she pondered over her saviour's strong reaction to her scent. Did it repulse him? Was it because he disliked foreign smells? She tentatively pulled a lock from her side, placing it behind her ear. As she continued walking to the kitchen, she could clearly hear the other three talking inside.

"_Ano_… Gendo-_dono_…" came Hatoha's meek voice through the window opening.

The family turned to her. Gendo invited her in, which Hatoha obliged to most willingly. Although, another part of her knew she was going to be interrogated. As she entered, closing the door behind her, Mikara approached her, her face one of impish recognition.

"So… who is he?" she asked, eager for Hatoha's response.

Hatoha sighed. The truth was better than complete lies. "I met him yesterday," she said trying to sound dismissive. She knew this would come back to haunt her some day.

"Oh Hatoha-_chan_, you little vixen!" came Mikara's response, although her expression had not changed.

It seemed 'some day' was _to_day.

"He saved me from a group of thugs, it's nothing special," explained Hatoha.

"Oh, Hatoha-_chan_ has a knight in shining armour!" gushed Sakura, blushing at the thought. Mikara also held the same wistful expression, both girls holding hands.

"Well," began Gendo. "If you want my opinion," he continued. Hatoha knew her boss well: his opinion, as he believed, was highly regarded. In most cases they were, but in this case, Hatoha would rather have sunk to the bottom of a nearby river than hear _his_ opinion on men. "A man who can protect a girl is worth having. Especially one that looks as menacing as him."

Hatoha sighed as both daughter and wife nodded, agreeing with Gendo's opinion.

"Do we really have to talk about this?" muttered Hatoha. Her mind had already forgotten about the strange incident between her and her saviour.


End file.
